Thailand discovers significant lithium reserves in the south of the country

2024-01-19T23:35:38.803Z

Highlights: Thailand discovers significant lithium reserves in the south of the country. According to the authorities, the deposits could contain nearly 15 million tonnes of lithium. If confirmed, it would place Thailand in the top 3 of the main holders of lithium in the world, behind Argentina and Bolivia. This would also serve the ambitions of the authorities: Thailand, which produced nearly 2 million cars last year, wants to accelerate its transition to electric.. Thai authorities also hope to attract the car manufacturer Tesla. Chinese giant BYD is due to produce its first electric vehicles this year in a new factory.

Is Thailand poised to become one of the world's leading lithium producers? In any case, this is what the authorities are hoping for, announcing the discovery of gigantic reserves of…

Thailand discovers significant lithium reserves in the south of the country

Is Thailand poised to become one of the world's leading lithium producers?

In any case, this is what the authorities are hoping for, announcing the discovery of gigantic lithium reserves.

Although the scale of the deposit remains to be determined, it serves the objectives of the government which wants to develop the production of electric vehicles.

A piece of lithium.

(illustrative image) Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0 Dnn87

By: RFI Follow

It was in the south of Thailand, on two mining sites not far from the tourist island of Phuket, that the reserves were discovered.

According to the authorities, the deposits could contain nearly 15 million tonnes of lithium.

If the presence of this ore which has become essential for producing electric batteries is not called into question, specialists do however question the quantity of lithium actually available.

“

We will still have to wait 3 to 5 years, the time for Thailand to carry out its first drilling before having reserves

,” explains Michel Jebrak, specialist in mining resources at the University of Quebec in Montreal, interviewed by

Nicolas Feldmann

, from RFI Economy service.

In any case, if this figure of 15 million tonnes were confirmed, it would place Thailand in the top 3 of the main holders of lithium in the world, behind Argentina and Bolivia.

This would also serve the ambitions of the authorities: Thailand, which produced nearly 2 million cars last year, wants to accelerate its transition to electric.

Thai authorities also hope to attract the car manufacturer Tesla.

Chinese giant BYD is due to produce its first electric vehicles this year in a new factory, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Thailand discovers significant lithium reserves in the south of the country

Thailand discovers significant lithium reserves in the south of the country

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